I decided to buy some spare vacuum tubes for my Kenwood TS-520S ham radio transceiver (70s vintage, a beauty) before all the known NOS (New Old Stock) disappear from the planet. This, the driver tube, was the easy one to find. The final output tubes (a pair of 6146B or 6146W) are a little harder to find in tested NOS state and are of course more costly. The radio also uses several dual input mosfet transistors that can be difficult/impossible to find, but they don't wear out like the tubes do. This radio uses +700vdc for it's output finals, 100 watts of RF output to the antenna. Hams call that operating 'barefoot', as legal limit here in the states for most bands is 1,500 watts PEP output.

1. 6 X-10 wireless camera modules (one with pan/tilt unit), plus assorted other X-10 goodies (two firecrackers, and a PIR sensor)2. A CueCat (I don't hoard real cats - only CueCats)3. An old 8 and 16 mm movie splicer device (I have some old 8mm films that I might do something with someday)

Plus I got in the mail via Ebay a tripod and dart belt for my Nerf EBF-25 Vulcan (which I also found at Goodwill for $3.00 a couple of weeks ago); it works fine - I plan on getting a few more belts, more darts, and maybe mod it to shoot farther/faster...

I will not respond to Arduino help PM's from random forum users; if you have such a question, start a new topic thread.

yea if I were to report my goodwill findings it would be 47 George Foreman grills and some crappy clock radios for durn new prices... I hate our goodwills

I have better luck at the Habitat for Humanity store, which normally doesnt carry anything else but building supplies, but I snagged a Imagewriter II, TI99 joysticks (man they suck but like new for 25 cents) and a TRS model 100 ... bag (sigh no computer)

anyone want a pair of practically brand new TI994A joysticks? they use closed cell foam for springs and plastic membrane switches, its much squishier than it sounds

yea if I were to report my goodwill findings it would be 47 George Foreman grills and some crappy clock radios for durn new prices... I hate our goodwills

Yea, I have kind of a love/hate relationship with Goodwill stores. About 15 years ago I spend a lot of time searching for those high quality brands and models of vintage 70s hi-fi stereo equipment and LP records. Seemed at the time a lot of people were replacing their top of the line 70s stereo stuff with the then new black plastic 5 channel crap systems. I would keep the best for myself and flip the rest on E-bay, usually at a X10 mark-up as those things are actively collected and treasured by many. Now mostly I would go in and there wouldn't be a thing so I would check out the 50 cent LP record albums. I stopped actively shopping there as the 70s stuff soon dried up as more and more people learned of the value of the better brands and models made in the 70s. Now maybe once a month at only the local store, maybe.

IF I NEVER SEEN ANOTHER HERB ALBERT AND THE TEQUANA BRASS BAND ALBUM, I WILL DIE A HAPPY MAN.

IF I NEVER SEEN ANOTHER HERB ALBERT AND THE TEQUANA BRASS BAND ALBUM, I WILL DIE A HAPPY MAN.

You don't like whipped cream? The Dating Game? Mazda's Great Little Car?

I haven't bought any electronics stuff lately, but I did get a pair of roller skates at Goodwill, to use the bearings in a ball mill. Might be an arduino in that project at some point. Generally, I avoid Goodwill though.

I do have several boxes of old LPs I got at thrift stores and garage sales. Don't know yet what gems await me there -- perhaps some Herb. I did find an original Singing Nun in one of the ones I've looked through.

... it is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could somedayfacilitate a police state. -- Bruce Schneier